The
Bourne series has made the transition from a successful franchise to a machine that
replaces one integral part — say, the main character — without losing a step.

Matt Damon bowed out of the latest,
The Bourne Legacy, and yielded to Jeremy Renner, who takes over the lead with ease.

Out went directors Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) and Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy and
The Bourne Ultimatum); in came Tony Gilroy, a screenwriter for the three previous
films.

The result, virtually the same, offers a spy thriller that spurns special effects in favor of
long action sequences. It again features shady government officials having very bad days (and
looking as if they haven’t slept in weeks) and a man on the run with only a vague notion of why he
is being hunted.

The movie isn’t based on a single book. Instead, it combines ideas, plotlines and characters
found throughout the Robert Ludlum series of novels;
The Bourne Legacy by Eric Van Lustbader provides only the title, not the story.

Wisely, the film — which makes sense on its own — emphasizes a character other than Bourne:
loner Aaron Cross (Renner), another former soldier with a broken heart who has entered the Program,
a super-secret labyrinth.

Col. Eric Byer (Edward Norton), who created the Program, seeks to destroy his genetically
enhanced agents, including Cross.

Thus, Cross starts in Alaska, dodging wolves and CIA drones, before heading to Maryland to track
down “chems,” or pills specially designed for his survival.

Aiding him is genetic scientist Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), who adds the appropriate amount
of humanity to a movie filled with jargon and acronyms.

The story hops all over the world, as bits of plot are distributed like fistfuls of candy on
Halloween. Despite the familiarity, the adrenaline rush kicks in — a la James Bond without the sex
and glamour.

Unlike other films in the genre, though,
The Bourne Legacy boasts slower moments that give depth to the characters and provide a
breather. On the negative side, the frenetic action becomes tiring — and the plot isn’t likely to
be recalled after a single viewing.The audience might wish that the script had delved further into
the vulnerability of Cross, but the focus on killing machines yearning to feel human remains
compelling.No matter who steers the ship, the series delivers effective tales about people losing
and regaining their identities.